EXCLUSIVE How Rachael Ray is 'swimming against the tide' with her career in 'critical' transition

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

Over the past few months, celebrity chef Rachael Ray has been making headlines with fans growing increasingly concerned for her health amid a string of 'bizarre' behavior - and, according to a psychic, her career might be in a 'critical' transition.
Ray, 56, was the star of the Food Network for many years, as she hosted multiple shows on the channel, including her signature 30 Minute Meals, which skyrocketed her to fame in the early 2000s.
The chef also had a talk show, called The Rachael Ray Show, which lasted for nearly two decades on television from 2006 to 2023.
At one point, she was at the top of the food industry, her first talk show season having 2.3 million national household rating, per Variety - the best premiere of a syndicated talk show since the premiere of Dr. Phil.
But over the past few years, Ray has sparked fresh concern from fans, especially last September, when she was seen slurring her words in a video she had posted to social media.
The video was a preview from her new show, Rachael Ray in Tuscany, and showed her cooking Ossobuco while paying tribute to the late Tony Bennett.
Soon after the video, viewers voiced their worry for the star, which prompted Ray to admit that she had recently suffered from a 'couple of bad falls.'
Things only seemed to get worse from there, as she left fans concerned once again in May after she appeared to slur her words in a Mother's Day video on Instagram, and left fans disturbed by 'bizarre' behavior at a meet-and-greet in New York City this month.
It begs the question: amid all this concern, where is her career going?
Currently, Ray has a show on FYI, Rachael Ray in Tuscany, which she films from her home in Italy, and stars in A+E's Meals In Minutes. She also released the first season of her podcast, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, this past Fall.
In addition, she is the head of her own content studio with some of her longtime partners, Free Food Content Studios - which A+E Network acquired a 50 percent stake in last year, per Variety.
But according to psychic Athos Salomé, 38, from Brazil, Ray is 'swimming against the tide' as the market she is a part of is rapidly changing directions.
Salomé is often referred to as the 'Living Nostradamus' due to his numerous accurate predictions - including his forecasting of the coronavirus pandemic, Queen Elizabeth II's death and the Microsoft global outage.
He has now told the Daily Mail that Ray's best bet in business right now may be to aim towards cutting a deal with a streaming platform.
'She is in a critical transition phase,' Salomé told Daily Mail exclusively.
'She should be able to sign one or two cable or streaming deals by the end of 2026. Nothing grandiose - short specials, "safe and risk-free" programs, to keep her name in circulation,' the clairvoyant said.
However, he predicted that there is only a 30 percent chance of Ray getting a 'major' streaming deal - but it's a goal that she should be aiming for.
He also noted that her YouTube and Instagram pages, where she posts clips from her episodes, have the potential to grow, but many of her videos have not gone viral.
'It will be a slow and consistent increase, to keep the loyal audience, which is already older,' he said.
Ideally, the best case scenario for Ray would be to get another lucrative contract with The Food Network once again, or a different TV platform like Hulu, Salomé explained.
'We're talking big money, fancy production, heavy promotion,' he said.
'The result? A special that goes viral, puts her back in the headlines and makes her seem "current" even though she's been on the road for decades,' the Living Nostradamus continued.
If she were to sign with a big network, Salomé suggested that she could use that momentum to introduce her own line of utensils or publish more cookbooks.
She could use the momentum to launch a new line of utensils or more cookbooks, capitalizing on the good times with strong sales in stores and online.
In May, an insider revealed to Daily Mail that those close to Ray are 'concerned,' especially after the Mother's Day video that she posted where she appeared to be slurring her words
He warns that her brand could become 'irrelevant' if it fails to evolve over time.
In May, an insider revealed to Daily Mail that those close to Ray are 'concerned,' especially after the Mother's Day video that she posted where she appeared to be slurring her words.
'Those close to Rachael are so concerned,' the insider disclosed. 'She has shut people out and lives a very secluded life.'
'She seems lost and when anyone reaches out to her she doesn't respond.
'Rachael was always so meticulous about her appearance, and it is very telling and concerning that she now just doesn't care. It is indicative of a bigger issue.'